138
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 3]
middle. Upwards there are other, better planetary systems, and the top-most system is called  Brahmaloka  or  Satyaloka . Downwards from the earthly planetary system there are seven downwards planetary systems domiciled by the  asuras  and similar other materialistic living beings.
From this  Garbhodakaśāyī  Viṣṇu there is expansion of the  Kṣīrodakaśāyī  Viṣṇu, who is the collective Paramātmā of all living beings. He is called Hari, and from Him all incarnations within the universe are expanded.
Therefore, the conclusion is that the  puruṣa-avatāra  is manifested in three features, first the  Kāraṇodakaśāyī  who creates aggregate material ingredients in the  mahat-tattva , second the  Garbhodakaśāyī  who enters in each and every universe, and third the  Kṣīrodakaśāyī  Viṣṇu who is the Paramātmā of every material object, organic or inorganic. One who knows these plenary features of the Personality of Godhead knows also Him (Godhead) properly, and thus the knower becomes freed from the material conditions of birth, death, old age and disease, as it is confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā . In this  śloka  the subject matter of Mahā-Viṣṇu is summarized. The Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down in some part of the spiritual sky by His own free will, and thus He lies on the ocean of  kāraṇa  from where He glances over His material nature, and the  mahat-tattva  is at once created. Thus electrified by the power of the Lord, the material nature creates at once innumerable universes just as in due course a tree is decorated with innumerable grown-up fruits. The seed of the tree is sown by the cultivator, and the tree or creeper in due course becomes manifested with so many fruits. Nothing can take place without a cause. The  Kāraṇa  Ocean is therefore called the Causal Ocean.  Kāraṇa  means causal. We should not foolishly accept the atheistic theory of creation. The description of the atheists is given in the  Bhagavad-gītā . The atheist does not believe in the creator, but he cannot give a good theory to explain the creation. Material nature has no power to create without the power of the  puruṣa , just as a  prakṛti  or woman cannot produce a child without the connection of a  puruṣa . The  puruṣa  impregnates, and the  prakṛti  delivers. We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags on the neck of the goat, although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly, we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients; we must believe in the power of the  puruṣa , who impregnates  prakṛti  or nature. And because the Lord wished to lie down in meditation, the material energy created innumerable universes at once, and in each of them the Lord laid Himself down, and thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia were created at once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies, and thus He can perform as He likes by perfect planning, although personally He has